IndiGo announces full return to normal operations after days of chaos

IndiGo has announced the reinstatement and normalisation of its flight operations across its entire network following days of significant disruption. The airline released a press statement on Tuesday, confirming that all flights are now scheduled to operate, albeit with an adjusted network.

The budget carrier confirmed a massive improvement in service recovery, noting that nearly all baggage that was previously stuck at various airports has been delivered to customers, with teams working to deliver the remaining bags at the earliest.

“Nearly all bags that were stuck at airports have been delivered to our customers and the teams are working on delivering the remaining at the earliest,” their statement read.

On the day of the statement, IndiGo reported operating more than 1,800 flights, connecting all 138 stations in its network, with plans to fly nearly 1,900 flights on the following day. The airline asserted that operational optimisation had been successful, and its on-time performance (OTP) is also “back to normal levels”.

In response to the widespread inconvenience caused, IndiGo has introduced an automated, “No Questions Asked” procedure for customers to receive full refunds upon cancellations through a simple process on its website.

The airline concluded its statement by regretting the disruption and sincerely apologizing to all customers. Customers are advised to check the latest flight status on IndiGo’s website before proceeding to the airport.

Why did the IndiGo mayhem happen in the first place?

Starting December 2, IndiGo faced a severe operational crisis marked by mass flight delays and cancellations across India due to apparent pilot shortages after it failed to adapt to the new pilot rest and duty rules introduced by the government early last year. Disruptions were recorded in major cities including New Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad.

The situation escalated dramatically, with Friday marking one of the worst aviation crises in the country, when at least 1,600 flights were cancelled. The staggering number of cancellations continued through the weekend: more than 700 flights were cancelled on Saturday, and over 650 flights were cancelled on Sunday, despite the government offering exemptions to the private carrier.

Reuters, quoting airport sources, detailed the extent of the impact on Saturday, reporting 124 cancellations in Bengaluru, 109 in Mumbai, 86 in New Delhi, and 66 in Hyderabad. The widespread air disruption left thousands of passengers stranded at airports across the country.